5 things you can see I could see the back of someone’s head, she had blonde hair that had been braided. I could count every strand if I concentrated hard enough. I could see my teacher barricading the door. I could see the boys from my math class in the corner, giggling over a lit up screen. I could see rolling eyes and sighs of annoyance. I could see myself, a 12 year old girl with her knees up to her chin and tears in her eyes like a child who was scared of the monster under her bed. 4 things you can touch The tile floor, why did they never clean it? My chest, my heart hammering like the first floor of an apartment building during New Year’s Eve. My phone, hidden in my back pocket. Mom told me to always keep it with me, in case of emergencies. Was it still an emergency if it was all practice? 4. My shaking hands. 3 things you can hear Panicked kids running around in the hallway. The sirens going off. Who thought loud warning sounds would be a a good idea during a school shooting? Someone saying, “God, this is so dumb.” 2 things you can smell The blackberry jam in my lunch box, on the other side of the room. When you’re paralyzed, you tend to rely on your senses. A touch of fear and boredom among middle schoolers being forced to crowd into a corner for 15 minutes. 1 thing you can taste. 1. Blood. I bit my tongue too hard.